The Carbon Footprint & Its Reduction Flashcards

All 7 cards in this deck

What is the carbon footprint of a product, service or event?

The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over its full life cycle.

True or false? A carbon footprint only measures carbon dioxide emissions.

False. It is the total of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as methane, over the full life cycle.

Give two actions that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Use renewable energy or nuclear power instead of fossil fuels, and use carbon capture and storage; also improving energy efficiency.

Give two actions that reduce methane emissions.

Eat less beef so fewer cattle are farmed, and capture the methane given off by decomposing waste in landfill.

Give reasons why actions to reduce the carbon footprint may be limited.

Cost, lack of international/political agreement, lack of public information or education, and people being unwilling to change their lifestyle.

True or false? Reducing a carbon footprint to zero is usually easy for a country to achieve.

False. Reductions are limited by cost, technology, lack of international agreement and unwillingness to change lifestyles.

True or false? The carbon footprint of a product includes greenhouse gases emitted over its full life cycle, not just while it is being used.

True. The carbon footprint is the total carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service or event.